I went to the Minnesing Swamp just outside of Angus, Ontario to see if I could find the Ruff mentioned over the last few days. With the help of a few other birders, I found and photographed the 2 ruffs in flight and on the ground. Unfortunately, the birds were about 75m away so the pictures aren't that great. I also found and photographed the Hudsonian Godwit further up the road. Pictures of the birds can be found at:
http://tinyurl.com/69ezbm Other shorebirds of note included lesser and greater yellowlegs, long-billed dowitcher, dunlin, solitary sandpiper. Also area in the area were green-winged teal, Northern pintail, rose-breasted grosbeak, belted kingfisher, and yellow-rumped warblers. I photographed a flock of shorebirds in flight with 4 different species including the ruff that can be seen here (it can be scrolled to the right): http://tinyurl.com/68eo3p A Google map with locations of the birds is available here: http://tinyurl.com/65c9jt You can zoom in using the control on the left hand side. Clicking on a picture at the bottom will give the exact location on the map. It's a good day birding when you get to see two life birds in your home territory. Good birding Jacques Giraud Directions (from J. Schmelefske): Turn north on McKinnon Rd. which is off Hwy 90 at the eastern outskirts of Angus. About a Km. up there is a large sod field on the left. Past this are grassy flooded fields and a new construction corridor for a hydro right-of-way. The Ruff and Dowitcher were on the west side of McKinnon Rd, just past the Hydro right-of-way. The Godwit was quite a bit farther down the road. As you proceed north the road becomes quite muddy and we parked our car and walked the rest of the way, past the next concession road. The road bends and then comes to a house with good bird feeders in the driveway. Across from this house on the west side of the road is a wet grassy area where the godwit was sitting with a bunch of Yellowlegs. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
